Electrode configurations for sensitive and specific detection of compound muscle action potentials to the tibialis anterior muscle after peroneal nerve injury in rats.

Background: Quantifying peripheral nerve regeneration via electrophysiology is a commonly used technique, but it can be complicated by spurious electrical activity. This study sought to compare electrode configurations for measuring compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle in a rat model for specific and sensitive detection of regeneration of peroneal nerve to the TA.

New Method: 10 Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a peroneal nerve transection with direct microsuture repair.

Characteristics of AA amyloidosis patients in San Francisco.

Background: AA amyloidosis due to subcutaneous injection of drugs of abuse has been described in the USA, but all the existing literature is from more than 20 years ago. There is more recent literature from Europe. We have observed a high incidence of AA amyloidosis in the county hospital in San Francisco.

Specialist and primary care physicians' views on barriers to adequate preparation of patients for renal replacement therapy: a qualitative study.

Background: Early preparation for renal replacement therapy (RRT) is recommended for patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet many patients initiate RRT urgently and/or are inadequately prepared.

Methods: We conducted audio-recorded, qualitative, directed telephone interviews of nephrology health care providers (n = 10, nephrologists, physician assistants, and nurses) and primary care physicians (PCPs, n = 4) to identify modifiable challenges to optimal RRT preparation to inform future interventions. We recruited providers from public safety-net hospital-based and community-based nephrology and primary care practices.

Lupus-like membranous nephropathy: Is it lupus or not?

Background: Membranous glomerulonephritis is typically classified as idiopathic or secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), hepatitis B, drugs, toxins, other infections, or malignancy. Not infrequently in some patients without a definite diagnosis of SLE, pathologic features of secondary membranous nephropathy are seen e.g.

Risk of vascular access complications with frequent hemodialysis.

Frequent hemodialysis requires using the vascular access more often than with conventional hemodialysis, but whether this increases the risk for access-related complications is unknown. In two separate trials, we randomly assigned 245 patients to receive in-center daily hemodialysis (6 days per week) or conventional hemodialysis (3 days per week) and 87 patients to receive home nocturnal hemodialysis (6 nights per week) or conventional hemodialysis, for 12 months. The primary vascular access outcome was time to first access event (repair, loss, or access-related hospitalization).

A global survey of the bacteria within earthworm nephridia.

Earthworms comprise 16 described families in the Crassiclitellata plus a few other minor groups. Microscopy studies of the early 20th century detected bacteria within the excretory organs, the nephridia, of species within a few of these families. More recent evidence for the consistent and specific association of bacteria with nephridia within the Lumbricidae has been well documented, but the presence and identity of nephridial bacteria among the rest of the Crassiclitellata families had not been explored.

Effects of frequent hemodialysis on measures of CKD mineral and bone disorder.

More frequent hemodialysis sessions and longer session lengths may offer improved phosphorus control. We analyzed data from the Frequent Hemodialysis Network Daily and Nocturnal Trials to examine the effects of treatment assignment on predialysis serum phosphorus and on prescribed dose of phosphorus binder, expressed relative to calcium carbonate on a weight basis. In the Daily Trial, with prescribed session lengths of 1.

Impact of sleep quality on cardiovascular outcomes in hemodialysis patients: results from the frequent hemodialysis network study.

Background: Poor sleep quality is a common, persistent, and important problem to patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This report examines whether sleep quality is associated with dialysis treatment factors and other modifiable clinical factors in a large group of hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on baseline data collected from participants in the Frequent Hemodialysis Network trials.

In-center hemodialysis six times per week versus three times per week.

Background: In this randomized clinical trial, we aimed to determine whether increasing the frequency of in-center hemodialysis would result in beneficial changes in left ventricular mass, self-reported physical health, and other intermediate outcomes among patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to undergo hemodialysis six times per week (frequent hemodialysis, 125 patients) or three times per week (conventional hemodialysis, 120 patients) for 12 months. The two coprimary composite outcomes were death or change (from baseline to 12 months) in left ventricular mass, as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and death or change in the physical-health composite score of the RAND 36-item health survey.

Diversity and host specificity of the Verminephrobacter-earthworm symbiosis.

Symbiotic bacteria of the genus Verminephrobacter (Betaproteobacteria) were detected in the nephridia of 19 out of 23 investigated earthworm species (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). While all four Lumbricus species and three out of five Aporrectodea species were densely colonized by a mono-species culture of Verminephrobacter, other earthworm species contained mixed bacterial populations with varying proportions of Verminephrobacter; four species did not contain Verminephrobacter at all. The Verminephrobacter symbionts could be grouped into earthworm species-specific sequence clusters based on their 16S rRNA and RNA polymerase subunit B (rpoB) genes.

Investigation of food and environmental exposures relating to the epidemiology of Campylobacter coli in humans in Northwest England.

This study uses multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to investigate the epidemiology of Campylobacter coli in a continuous study of a population in Northwest England. All cases of Campylobacter identified in four Local Authorities (government administrative boundaries) between 2003 and 2006 were identified to species level and then typed, using MLST. Epidemiological information was collected for each of these cases, including food and recreational exposure variables, and the epidemiologies of C.

Cadaveric renal transplant recipients can safely tolerate removal of bladder catheters within 48 h of transplant.

The ideal time to remove urinary catheters after renal transplantation has not been thoroughly established. It remains unclear whether the anastomosis is actually protected with prolonged bladder catheterization. In addition, the incidence of urinary tract infections may increase with prolonged catheterization.

Living donor renal transplant recipients tolerate early removal of bladder catheters.

Recipients of living donor renal grafts enjoy numerous benefits compared with deceased donor kidney recipients. Bladder catheterization allows for the continuous determination of urinary output and, theoretically, may prevent urinary leaks. A series of 25 consecutive renal transplants was reviewed to evaluate the timing of removal of bladder catheters after transplantation.

Survival after ethylene glycol poisoning in a patient with an arterial pH of 6.58.

This ethylene glycol poisoning case had a blood pH of 6.58 and severe hypothermia (30.9 C).